A Written Submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to update the United Nations Human Rights Council about the situation of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in Bangladesh. Enforced disappearances are increasing alarmingly in Bangladesh since Mrs. Sheikh Hasina has become the Prime Minister in January 2009. The victims’ families and the eye-witnesses have consistently accused the law-enforcement agencies including the national police and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for being responsible for enforced disappearances.

A Written Submission to the 36th Regular Session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to update the United Nations Human Rights Council about the situation of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in Bangladesh. Enforced Disappearances are increasing alarmingly in Bangladesh since Sheikh Hasina has been Prime Minister in January 2009. The victims’ families and the eye-witnesses have consistently accused the law-enforcement agencies including the Police and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for the incidents of enforced disappearances.

A Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre BANGLADESH: UN HRC seeks to criminalise enforced disappearances and end torture The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) welcomes the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s Concluding Observations, which insist that Bangladesh must “effectively criminalise enforced disappearance” and “put an end to the practice of torture and ill-treatment”. The Committee has also asked the Government of Bangladesh to provide, in its next periodic report, (i) the number of investigations conducted; (ii) the convictions secured and (iii) the disaggregated information on penalties that have been imposed on perpetrators. These Observations are a result of the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), a Treaty Body established […]

A Written Submission to the 34th Regular Session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) has shown and iterated over the years how torture is the norm in Bangladesh’s law-enforcement system. The institutionalisation of torture has been entrenched to such an extent that Bangladesh’s national psyche is incapable of imagining a law-enforcement system without torture. The police, and the paramilitary forces, are unable to work with any effectiveness or humanity when they use torture for extortion from the detainees and to satisfy political masters. Regrettably, investigation of crimes, and the efficiency that arrives with credible investigations is wholly […]

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) directs the attention of the United Nations Human Rights Council UNHRC) and the Special Procedures to the epidemic of arbitrary detention in Bangladesh, requesting the UNHRC and the Special Procedures to engage actively to protect the people of the country.

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) brings the continuing enforced and involuntary disappearances in Bangladesh to the attention of the United Nations Human Rights Council, seeking active effort to facilitate redress to victims and to the families of the disappeared. The ALRC is reiterating its grave concern for the reality of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh. The global human rights community is aware of the fact that enforced disappearance is a “crime against humanity” and thus, is not subject to a statute of limitations. Sadly, there is hardly any visible initiative from the international community to address the situation of enforced disappearances. The ALRC is not urging the Human Rights Council […]

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) directs the attention of the United Nations Human Rights Council UNHRC) and the Special Procedures to the epidemic of arbitrary detention in Bangladesh, requesting the UNHRC and the Special Procedures to engage actively to protect the people of the country. Deprivation of liberty through arbitrary detention has become a norm of law-enforcement and as default method to “rule” the country for those who legitimately or illegitimately occupy office. Different draconian legislations enable the government and the law-enforcement agencies in the process of arbitrary detention. The laws that are most commonly used for detaining people arbitrarily are: i) Information and Communications Technology Act-2006 (Amended in […]

The United Nations Human Rights Council is now ten years of age. Since its inception a decade ago, the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) has participated in the Council, with special focus on the independence of the judges and lawyers in many Asian countries like Bangladesh. The ALRC has reiterated the need for comprehensive understanding into the realities of justice mechanisms in Bangladesh. It has also highlighted the necessity of effective contribution from the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights mechanisms and the international community.

There has been a continuing discussion about extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions at the United Nations Human Rights Council, which has now been in operation for ten years since inception. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) has shared analytical information with the Council underlining the depth of the systemic human rights problems in Bangladesh in the last ten years. There is a dire need to review the UN Human Rights mechanisms in order to address extrajudicial executions, flagrant violations of the right to life.

Exercising the right to freedom of opinion and expression has become more challenging than ever in Bangladesh. The government uses a number of draconian laws and institutions, including the Judiciary, to silence citizens, especially human rights defenders and members of the civil society. Citizens are being imprisoned and detained for making critical comments about the Prime Minister and her family in social networking sites like Facebook. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) once again raises the matter with the United Nations Human Rights Council, seeking its effective intervention to promote and protect these rights.